Dan Callister

On Thursday, Dan Callister, a freelance photojournalist, took a photo of a sparrows' nest tucked inside a traffic light on 72nd Street just past Fifth Avenue in Central Park. On Friday he got a call from the New York Post, he told Runnin' Scared this morning, when he went to visit the light again, the nest was gone. Now, a mystery remains as to how precisely the bird habitat disappeared. Callister said he first saw a nest in that location in July of last year. The Department of Transportation is not taking credit for its removal. "DOT does have jurisdiction over traffic signals, but did not remove a bird's nest from that location," a spokesperson told the Post in a story published today. We reached out to the Parks Department for comment and have not yet heard back. (Update 11:56 a.m.: We were referred to the DOT)

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​The Associated Press reported Friday that the NYPD kept tabs on Muslim-owned businesses based on the religion of owners, second- and third-generation Americans. As this became just one more known element of the NYPD's surveillance, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly met with Muslim leaders in the city. Though NY1 reported that members of the community who met with Kelly said "he assured them that the NYPD was obeying the law," groups gathered outside NYPD headquarters where the meeting was taking place to protest. Meanwhile, though the AP reported that Jews and Christians were excluded from the monitoring, the New York Daily News reported that the NYPD was not always discerning. [AP, NY1, NYDN]

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Courtesy of the Horvaths

​On Monday the New York Daily News reported the on the death of Lima, New York City celebrity hawk Pale Male's mate. Often when stories -- both happy and sad -- of New York's leash-less animals pop up, we hear from wildlife rehabilitators Bobby and Cathy Horvath. The two have been rehabilitators for 25 years, but they work as volunteers. They both hold down what you might call day jobs -- he as a fireman and she as a veterinary technician -- while living with a host of animals in need of care. Currently, Bobby told Runnin' Scared, they have 50 or so animals in their home. We called up the married couple to get their reaction to recent news about Lima and other high-profile New York birds, and to learn more about what it's like caring for the city's wild creatures.

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​Perhaps no saga over the past year has enthralled New Yorkers more than the twisted tale of love and death between the red-tailed hawk couple of Washington Square Park, Bobby and Violet. First, Violet managed to have an adorable miracle baby named Pip. Then soon after giving birth, Violet sustained a leg injury and Bobby began to have an affair. The heartbreak must have been too much and Violet died very quickly after the news broke. The-other-woman was officially named "Rosie" after a ballot-counting scandal. Rosie and Bobby have laid low for quite some time until this week when The New York Times' City Room blog caught them porking on top of the cross of Judson Memorial Church.

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​Pigeons: "rats with wings," grudge holders, poopers. Yes, our cohabitors have kind of a bad rap, even though we at Runnin' Scared have pointed out that they probably don't deserve the hate they get. But who really bestows any love upon them? The New York Times has answered that question in a story featuring the humans that go against the pigeon-hating grain and act as the animals' saviors and protectors.

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Bobby and Violet, 4Ever.

​The New York Times has been very much involved in the life and times of the red-tailed hawks at Washington Square Park (a watch sadly marred by the recent death of poor Violet, mother hawk to Pip). Meanwhile, Bobby, father hawk, man-about-town, already has a new woman in his life. In order to incorporate the winged newcomer into the fold, the New York Times offered up a question to the hawk-adoring public. They wanted us to name Bobby's lady friend, and gave the choice of "Rosie" or "Noelle," allowing people to vote for one, and only one, once.

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Violet and Bobby in happier times.

​Yesterday, it looked as though Violet the NYU hawk mother and star of the Bobst library hawk cam was doing OK apart from her cheating husband. She had been captured and was receiving treatment for her injured leg. Now, City Room reports that Violet has died. She was thought to be around five years old.

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Last we heard about Violet the NYU hawk mommy, she was in trouble. Her leg was seriously injured and it looked like she wouldn't survive. Luckily, as City Room reports, Violet has been captured and is receiving treatment for her necrotic foot. Violet is described as being in "good spirits."

Little does she know that Bobby, her mate, was seen in Washington Square Park with a different mature female a day after Violet's capture.

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​This holiday was a good one for adorable animals in trouble. A wolf-dog, a troubled pigeon, and an NYU hawk were all recipients of goodwill from human compatriots. Here, we bring you those stories, in a round-up of the animal stories that have captured our hearts over the past couple of days.

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Unfortunate news for followers of the plucky hawk family that had a miracle baby named Pip at NYU's Bobst Library last spring: Violet, the mother, is having serious problems with her leg. The leg has a band around it and has been bothering her since before the Hawk Cam days, and City Room reports that it is now in seriously bad condition. Watch the video from wildlife photographer Lincoln Karim:

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